The Brother Analysis
by XX4aXX
Summary: Penny meets Sheldon's brother and he helps her realise her true feelings.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, just borrowing them.**

Penny walked into Apartment 4A without knocking. She noticed Leonard and Sheldon were both in the kitchen. Leonard was putting on the coffee maker and he had his back to Penny, Sheldon too had his back to Penny, neither had noticed she had entered the apartment.

Sheldon was sitting on the kitchen island, when did Sheldon sit on the kitchen island? She noticed he was also wearing jeans, and a yellow checked shirt, what happened to the layered shirts, and jeans, where did he get those from? He appeared to be chatting with Leonard, laughing and the most unusual sight was that he was drinking a beer.

It was then that they both looked around at Penny.

"Oh hey Penny," Leonard said "I don't think you've met Sheldon's older brother, George."

George jumped off the kitchen island and walked over towards Penny. She looked at him, the resemblance was startling.

"It's freaky isn't it?" Leonard said "It's like an improved Sheldon, you know one that is nice."

"Hi Penny, heard a lot about you." George offered his hand. His Texan drawl was a lot more pronounced than Sheldon's but they had very similar voices. "It's good to finally meet you."

"Hi," was all Penny could stammer out, she just kept looking at him. He was just a slightly older version of Sheldon, but also without the tics and it appeared no wack-a-doodle personality.

"George is just staying for a couple of days, he needed me to sign some papers." Sheldon had walked into the kitchen, he appeared to have come from either the bathroom or his bedroom. "People say we look alike, but I don't see it myself."

Penny looked from Sheldon to George and back again. "Sheldon, you look exactly the same." she replied.

Sheldon rolled his eyes and walked over to sit in his spot.

"So Shelly, what you got planned for us to do hey?" George asked.

"Planned? I have nothing planned." Sheldon replied to his older brother.

"Oh come on Shelly, I've never been to LA before, I need a tour guide."

"I am a very busy man George, I can't just give up my work to become tour guide for you."

Penny looked up at George and said. "I've got tomorrow off work, if you like we could go do some stuff."

"Oh thank you Penny, that would be delightful."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Penny became a tour guide, showing all the sites of LA to George, by the end of the day they were both exhausted.

"One more place I have to show you." Penny said as they were driving towards home. "My favourite bar." she smiled.

"Great, I could really do with a drink just about now." George answered.

The weather was perfect for sitting outdoors, so they found a table and sat down.

"Wow, what a day. Penny you have been such a delightful host, I cannot thank you enough."

"My pleasure. I'm not really a local, but I think you got to see most of the sights. So when are you going back home?"

"Day after tomorrow, I took the opportunity to extend this little excursion into a holiday for myself."

"Oh ok, well I've got the evening shift tomorrow, but I'm free all day tomorrow, if you want to hang out again." She took a sip of her wine and thought how much she has enjoyed today, _oh why couldn't Sheldon be more like his brother._

"Penny, if you don't mind me asking, you're not seeing anyone at the moment?"

"Oh no, not at the moment. I used to go out with Leonard, but we broke up and, but that was months ago, a couple of people since then, but no. " she stopped.

"Don't suppose Sheldon has tried any moves on you?" George laughed.

Penny smiled, "No, Sheldon certainly hasn't. Has he ever had a girlfriend, or boyfriend or anyone?"

"Penny, Sheldon didn't even have a friend until Leonard."

"You're so different in personality, but so alike in you looks."

"Shelly always was an obnoxious so and so. He is lucky to have such good friends, I certainly don't think he deserves it."

"Oh I don't know, Sheldon is a very good friend. He has helped me several times." Penny finished her drink. "I would even class him as my best friend."

George almost fell off his chair. "You and Sheldon best friends? Wow didn't see that one. Now to change the topic entirely let me take you out for dinner, of course you will have to choose the restaurant, I like all foods, I'm not fussy."

Penny laughed, "You're not fussy? For brothers you guys are so different." She grabbed her keys, "I know just the place."


	3. Chapter 3

Penny took George to a local Italian restaurant, she had eaten there before, with a guy that she dated just the once, she remembered that the guy was awful, but the food was great.

They placed their order and George poured Penny a glass of wine.

"George tell me, what was Sheldon like as a little boy?"

"Shelly was a pain as a little boy, a real know it all pain then and he still is. But he's my brother still so mom says I have to play nice."

"He told us once that he built a cat scanner."

George laughed, "Yeah, not a snowball chance in a cat scanner became the catch phrase throughout the family."

"So he didn't have any friends growing up you said earlier, that's sad."

"Not as sad as this. Here I am out with a beautiful woman and all she can talk about is my brother. You sure you guys ain't got something going on?"

"No," Penny laughed "why would you say that?"

"Just something he said to me this morning."

"What, what did he say?"

"Penny." His fingers reached up to her face his thumb gliding over her cheekbone.

and all Penny replied was _ "_What did Sheldon say?"

"Penny, I don't want to talk about my brother. "

George took his hand away and picked up his glass of wine and took a big sip.

"I'm sorry George, no more talk of Sheldon, promise."

They reach Apartment 4B and Penny invited George in for a nightcap. She grabbed the wine bottle and two glasses and joined George on the sofa. Throughout the day Penny had a chance to have a real good look at George, he was about 3 years older than Sheldon. His skin was weathered, he was definitely an outdoorsman. His hair was much longer than Sheldon's, and there were flecks of grey coming through. He was heavier but not as tall as Sheldon.

She had also noticed that his eyes didn't have the sparkle and intensity that Sheldon's did, they weren't the same shade of blue. His bottom lip wasn't quite as full as Sheldon's, his fingers weren't as long and his hands didn't look as soft, and he didn't smell of talc and white board markers either.

George must have noticed her looking at his lips and took it as his cue to kiss her. One of his hands grabbed her and pulled her in closer, and the other reached up and loosened her hair from her hair clip. He was giving her his full attention, but all she could think about was the brother of the man she was kissing. She pulled away from the kiss.

"George, this isn't really going to happen."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Thank you for the reviews and the story follows, so much appreciated. I am going to say that I find Sheldon very hard to write, so hopefully this isn't too painful.**

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><p>Penny walked into Apartment 4A, Sheldon was sitting at his computer working away. He looked up briefly when Penny walked into the room but didn't verbally acknowledge her entrance.<p>

Penny spoke first. "Has George gone back home?"

"Good afternoon Penny, how are you?" Sheldon certainly was picking up sarcasm very well , "and yes my brother has returned home."

"Oh it will be a little quieter without him about."

"Penny my brother and I having little in common, rarely converse, So the notion that I would find it quieter without him being here is really nonsensical at best. Perhaps you may find it a little quieter as you seemed to enjoy his company, but I can vouch that I certainly shall not notice." he returned to his work.

Penny sat in her usual place on the sofa, really Sheldon was exasperating at times she thought.

Penny watched Sheldon at work and was surprised that he just seemed to ignore her completely, he obviously felt no obligation to talk to her, or to offer her coffee, or even just join her on the couch. What is she thinking this guy has not the least bit of interest in relationships at all, any sort of relationships. But on the other hand she felt really comfortable just sitting there with Sheldon working away. It was a comfortable silence between them.

After about 5 minutes Sheldon stopped working. He saved his work and turned his chair around to look at Penny. "Did you want to watch a movie Penny?"

"Sure if you have finished working. Hey where are the other guys tonight?" Penny replied.

Leonard is working, and Howard and Raj are out roller blading, an activity that holds no interest to me whatsoever." He stood up and walked over to the couch and sat in his spot, next to Penny.

"Sheldon,have you ever thought about what are you going to do when Leonard leaves?"

"Leonard's leaving?"

"I don't mean now, but in the future I am sure he will find a girl and settle down, you know do the whole family man thing."

Sheldon stopped and thought for a while. "Yes I believe you may be right there Penny. Do you hope to be that girl?"

Penny waved her hands at Sheldon at the same time as expressing her non desire to be that girl. "No Sheldon, I have no wish to be that girl as you state it. No Leonard and I work much much better as friends."

"I think you are right Penny, he is not the man for you to spend the rest of your life with."

"You haven't answered my question yet Sheldon, what will you do when Leonard decides to move on?"

"Well I suppose I will either get a new roommate or perhaps I won't."

"I think you need company Sheldon."

Sheldon scoffed at her suggestion.

"No really, look at what happened when the guys started to go over to Raj's you went out and found some new friends. You became awful lonely very quickly."

"Perhaps I have become more reliant on companionship" Sheldon realised.

"Perhaps Homo Novus is evolving" Penny smiled at Sheldon and she was sure that he smiled back. Perhaps this wasn't such a crazy idea after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Again thank you so much for the story follows and reviews, I hope you enjoy this chapter. **

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><p>When Leonard walked into Apartment 4A late that Thursday night, he found Sheldon and Penny sitting on the couch watching "Dirty Dancing".<p>

Leonard looked over at his room mate, "Really? Dirty Dancing?"

He placed his bag on his chair and walked over to the fridge to get a drink.

"Ssh. It's almost finished." Penny replied.

Sheldon got up off the couch and walked over to the kitchen to join Leonard.

"When I offered to watch a movie, I was hoping for something different. I think roller blading with Wolowitz and Koothrappali would have been better than this dribble. But it makes Penny happy."

Leonard looked at his room mate, did he really just say that. "If it makes Penny happy, since when do you care about that?"

Sheldon cocked his head slightly and thought for a while, but he didn't reply to Leonard's question.

The movie finished and Penny stood up and turned off the TV.

"Well I suppose I should go home now, cya later guys."

Leonard and Sheldon looked over at her and both waved goodnight to her.

"Night Sheldon." Penny closed the door behind her.

Saturday morning Sheldon awoke at 6.15am as usual, he tended to his morning ablutions and then walked into the kitchen to get his cereal prepared. On the kitchen island he found his cereal, his 2% milk and and a cup of herbal tea just poured and at exactly the correct temperature. Penny was sitting in her usual spot on the sofa eating her breakfast and drinking coffee.

"Good morning Penny, and to what do I owe this early morning visit?"

"Morning Sheldon, well I couldn't sleep and I thought perhaps I would join my good friend Sheldon in some early morning Dr Who watching. You don't mind do you?"

"No, not at all." He sat down next to Penny.

The programme started on the TV.

"Sheldon, did you think about what we were talking about the other night?"

"Really Penny are you are going to be talking all through Dr Who?"

Penny placed her finger on her lips to signal that she wasn't going to talk anymore.

He returned to watching the television and Penny kept quiet throughout the whole episode. When the end credits rolled Penny took it to mean that she could talk again.

"Those dolls sure were creepy."

"Penny, the credits are still rolling, can't you wait for another approximately 30 seconds?"

Just as the end credits finished Sheldon turned towards Penny and said "You may speak now if you like."

Penny really wanted to say why thank you you obnoxious egomaniac but something inside her couldn't say that, instead she just replied "Thanks."

It was his eyes that stopped her, they soften everything Sheldon says, especially when he looks at you as intensely as he was looking at her at the moment, and was Penny imagining that Sheldon was leaning in slightly closer than normal, surely he was too close for his own comfort. His eyes were so blue and his lips looked moist, Penny reached up with her hand and placed it on his right cheekbone.

"Sheldon, I."

He removed her hand and said "Next weeks episode looks interesting, but I would prefer to watch it alone."

He stood up and walked towards the kitchen just as Leonard walked into the living room.

"Morning Sheldon." then he noticed Penny, "and Penny, oh hey Penny we're off to paint ball this morning with Wolowitz and Koothrappali, you want to come?"

"No Penny is busy, she can't come." Sheldon replied.

"Well actually I can." She wasn't going to leave this like this.

"You can? Excellent we could always do with another player." Leonard answered.

"Penny can Leonard and I have some privacy please" Sheldon asked.

Penny looked at Sheldon, he turned away from her. She closed the door behind her, but stood on the landing just outside the door of 4A.

"Leonard I don't want Penny to come to paint ball."

"Why, she is a great player, we might actually have a chance to beat the geology department."

"If you take Penny I won't come."

Leonard looked at his friend. "You two aren't fighting again?"

"No."

"Then why?

"I don't want to talk about it, you just have to make the decision Leonard."

Leonard was used to Sheldon's crazy ways, but this was strange even for him.

"Ok, I choose you Sheldon, I'll just go tell Penny."

"You won't have to, she is listening at the door." Sheldon walked towards his bedroom to get ready.


	6. Chapter 6

Penny knew Sheldon's actions and words were all just a way to protect himself.

What a childhood he must have had to believe that the best course of action was to never let others in too much, to never trust another, to never again let anyone have a chance to hurt you. She felt sad just thinking about that.

But Sheldon had slowly let others in his life, not only let them in, but they had become his closest friends and of course Wolowitz was his treasured acquaintance. He missed his friends and treasured acquaintance when they started to hang around at Raj's so much that he rang Zack, Stuart and Barry Kritpke to come around and visit him for a while, to prove that he could get new friends.

"Zack?" Penny smiled to herself, " My that was a meeting of minds."

So when did friends become so important to him, I bet he doesn't remember that happening. So knowing that he can let people in to become friends, doesn't it follow that perhaps he could learn to trust someone so much that they become more than just friends.

Penny's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. It was Leonard so she let him in and they sat on the sofa, he clearly wanted to talk about what just took place in 4A.

"Penny, I can't get anything out of Sheldon, but what gives with you two at the moment? You aren't fighting again are you?"

"No we aren't fighting, far from it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know." Penny was looking at the ground.

Leonard is a genius, he is a very smart man, he knew.

"You can't start anything you don't intend to finish and I mean long long hull finish, like to death do you part finish. I won't let you hurt Sheldon."

Penny looked up at him, she had tears in her eyes. "I have no intentions of hurting him, far from it."

"But Penny, you really have to think about this carefully, if you break his heart he will never forgive you and never talk to you again, you will lose him as a friend. Sheldon is a freaking genius, but he is emotionally stunted you know that. If you want to pursue a relationship with him you will have to be willing to let him grow emotionally, this is going to take time, lots of time, could take years. You being a big "05" girl do you think you can give him this time?"

"I don't." she started,

But Leonard interrupted her

"If you don't know I think it best you leave things as they are, because if you take this up and in a couple of months decide it's too hard, I will never speak to you again either."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N- thanks again for the follows and the reviews.

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><p>After Leonard left the apartment Penny needed to take in what Leonard said and evaluate exactly how she felt about Sheldon, and when did this start to happen? She didn't want to lose Leonard as a friend and she certainly didn't want to lose Sheldon out of her life.<p>

So exactly when did she begin to feel about Sheldon like this?

Was it on the first day they met? No, well if she was honest with herself she had found him very attractive that first day, that was until he started to talk. Telling her to not sit in his spot, and then when she flirted with him it deflected off him completely. He was still cute, but he was very strange.

Was it the time they sang Soft Kitty together? He really had rushed over to help her, and when he helped her dress he did peak, and how much did he blush when he realised that wasn't her arm. When they sang the round there seemed to be a real connection, but that could have been the drugs that she was taking. Perhaps, but she saw see his quick smile right at the end of the round? He has a really lovely smile.

Perhaps when he hung her underwear out to dry so to speak? She had to admit during that argument she felt such as urge to either kiss Sheldon or kick him in the nuts. She choose instead to ring his mother. But she really, really enjoyed the heat of the battle. The intensity between them was almost electric, thankfully the telephone wires weren't.

Was it when he lent her the money? He was so sweet and so happy to lend her the money, no questions asked. He didn't chase her up to pay him back and was completely trusting that when she said she would when she could. Plus he smiled again at her.

Was it the time they spent Valentine's day together both sick on the couch? Sure he blamed her for giving him the Flu, but he let her watch The Notebook and they fell asleep next to each other on the couch because both were too ill to get up and go to bed.

Was it when he gave her that first hug? The Nimoy Napkin was a present that Sheldon just didn't know how to reciprocate, the soaps and lotions weren't enough so he gave Penny the one thing that he doesn't give out too much, physical contact. He smiled all day that day.

Was it the Italian Spaghetti? Whenever Penny makes this for Sheldon he really is appreciative and sweet and they share some time together just talking like two good friends, and they always watch a movie together after.

Was it the time he helped with the Penny Blossoms? Sure he took over, but they sang sea shanties together and all in all produced 1000 Penny Blossoms in one night and she could never have done it without him.

Was it the time he helped her with Age of Conan? In the end she wished she hadn't started the silly game, but she saw his smile when she reached level 3.

Was it when he taught her Physics? He didn't have to, but he did help her and she really did learn that Leonard's work was quantitatively no different than that experiment conducted in The Netherlands.

It wasn't any of these specifically. If she was honest with herself there really wasn't any one specific time, it was all of them.

The attraction she felt for George was real, but it wasn't for George, it was that he was so like Sheldon. George just made her realise that she was attracted to Sheldon, that she had real feelings for Sheldon.

That would explain why she couldn't love Leonard or anyone else there had been someone else all this time, Sheldon Lee Cooper PHD, and he lives in Apartment 4A, 2311 Los Robles, right across the hall from Penny.

Great, she has fallen in love with a man that possibly had never even thought of her in that way in his life. His coldness towards her this morning was icy.

Then Penny remembered something that George had said to her about Sheldon saying something that made George believe that they were an item, or that at least something was going on between them.

Penny didn't want to speculate. It was really important that she got this right, she will probably only get one chance, if she fumbles it she will never get another chance, and likely be banished out of Sheldon's life. She needs to be prepared, she couldn't work of hunches and stuff. Penny opened her teledex to Mary Cooper's phone number and picked up her phone.

Every Saturday night at 8.15pm Sheldon Lee Cooper, PHD did his laundry, Penny knew that to be a fact.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you everyone for the story follows and the reviews. I hope you enjoy this last chapter

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><p>There is 25 steps down to the laundry room, different from all the other floors in the building which have only 23 steps per floor. Penny only knew this because Sheldon had once told her, she certainly could have found out herself but it never occurred to her to count the steps. Tonight Penny was counting the steps down to the laundry room.<p>

The smell of Sheldon's preferred laundry powder filled the air as soon as Penny rounded the last corner, and she could hear at least two machines working away. It was 8.20pm and Sheldon being the creature of habit that he is, was in the laundry room doing his laundry.

Her phone call with George Jnr was a bit like draining blood from a stone, but eventually she had been successful and found out exactly what Sheldon had said to George Jnr that morning.

"Evening Sheldon."

"Penny." his back was to the door and he didn't turn around but rather continued to read his magazine. This was new normally they converse, he had never brought a magazine to the laundry room before. A defence mechanism Penny thought.

"Whatcha got there?"

"It is the latest edition of "Physics Today, according to this article new findings suggest that contrary to conventional wisdom, nanobubbles can host explosions. he replied.

"Oh, good to know."

Penny started to fill one of the machines with her clothes and placed in what she determined was enough powder. She could feel Sheldon watching her, but she was unsure why he was. Was it to see how much powder she placed into the machine or was it because of what transpired that morning, or just because he wanted to talk more about nanobubbles.

She walked over to Sheldon and grabbed his magazine off of him. "We need to talk."

"I don't want to talk about anything specific with you Penny, and I cannot imagine anything that you say would be of interest to me." he moved away from her.

"I spoke with George Jnr this evening."

Sheldon remained quiet.

"We had a very interesting conversation."

"Did you sleep with my brother?" Sheldon whispered looking down towards the ground.

"Sorry?"

This time he lifted his head and crossed his arms then said it louder so Penny certainly heard. "I said, did you sleep with my brother?"

She looked up at him, "No I didn't, and if I did, why would it be any concern of yours?"

"It doesn't concern me. I am merely trying to keep a tally of the number of coitus partners that you have."

"That is none of your business Sheldon." Penny turned away from Sheldon. His defences at times were exasperating, but Penny knew it was all just that, defences. "I know what you said to your brother that morning."

"I probably said many things to my brother on that morning, like good morning, did you sleep well? Any number of things."

"He mentioned that he thought I was really pretty, do you remember what you told him?"

Sheldon didn't reply, so she continued

"You told him that I was not merely really pretty, but rather that I was beautiful." Penny smiled at Sheldon, but he didn't meet her eye, he was looking anywhere but at her. "He then said that you just blushed and left the room straight after. What does that mean Sheldon?"

She leant up and whispered in his ear. "Sheldon, it's ok to like me you know."

Sheldon was looking at the ground, he had nothing to add to Penny's statement.

"Do you really think I am beautiful? I have heard you call me attractive before, but never beautiful." she moved closer to him, so close that she was certain he would push her away, but he didn't, instead he stood there quietly, still not meeting her eye.

"Sheldon this morning I was going to tell you something and Leonard interrupted us."

"You have nothing to say I want to hear." Sheldon looked her in the eye, but his left eye was twitching, he was lying and Penny knew it, and she noticed that his pupils were dilated.

Penny continued on. "Sheldon I was going to tell you that I look forward to "Anything can happen Thursdays", that I enjoy doing my laundry with you, that I love watching movies with you alone. I love making and sharing Italian Spaghetti with you and would make it every night of the week if it meant you would come share it with me."

His gaze never left hers but the twitching was slowing, his pupils dilated even more and Penny was sure that his breathing was becoming deeper.

"Let me try an experiment Sheldon, you have heard of Schrodinger's cat?"

"Of course I've heard of Schrodinger's cat Penny, I was the person that told you about Schrodinger's cat if you remember."

"Well let me kiss you this once, and if either of us doesn't feel anything we can will turn around and leave and never talk of this again."

Penny watched him thinking of a reason not to do this, but he obviously couldn't come up with one and agreed. "But no tongues." he said.

"Right, you ready Sheldon, you need to be relaxed."

"Relaxed, how can I relax you are about to transfer millions of tiny micro orgasms from your mouth to mine and I don't have any corn husker antibodies."

"Sheldon just close your eyes and stop talking. Please."

He did as she said. They were really going to do this, he was really going to let her kiss him.

Penny stilled herself and took in a deep breath. She grabbed hold of Sheldon's hands, he almost broke her fingers with his hold.

"Sheldon sweetie, I will need you to bend down a little."

He complied and she pressed her lips against his, they were soft and moist just like she knew they would be. She was still holding Sheldon's hands but he slowly released his grip and moved his arms around her to hold her closer to him, she took this as a good sign. She parted her lips slightly and kissed his bottom lip, she could feel him relaxing into the kiss and this helped her relax too.

She felt Sheldon's arms pull her in even closer and she was slightly shocked at how strong he appeared to be, and how nice his arms felt around her. Penny knew that this one kiss was never going to be enough, not for her at least.

They pulled apart and looked at each other, both waiting for each other to talk, it was Sheldon that spoke first.

"I have thought you were beautiful since that night you rubbed the Vaporub into my chest and sang Soft Kitty to me Penny. I've never had any experience being a boyfriend before, I don't know what to do and that is a new experience for me."

Penny smiled at him. "Sheldon, I can't promise that this is going to be perfect, we are going to fight, we are going to have our ups and downs. I am sure we are both going to say things to each other that hurt, but I can guarantee you one thing. I love you, and I want this to work if you want it to."

Sheldon lent down and whispered in her ear. "I love you too Penny."


End file.
